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Tzadik Yesod Olam
Rebbe Nachman of Breslov
on Shmiras Habris

The following are extractions and not direct translations.

We are listing a selection of teachings from Rebbe Nachman's books about Shmiras Habris. It is highly recommended that everyone study the actual books, cover to cover in order to attain all the advice needed for their lives. Additionally many attributes are dependent one on the other and unless one has access to all of Rebbe Nachman's advice he will be limited.

Extractions from Shivchay Haran

Rebbe Nachman's Practices Can Bring All Close to Hashem
These practices [brought down in the books of Rebbe Nachman] are holy and precious practices that each and every person can use to come close to Hashem through these practices, as they are customs that are equivalent to all whether a person is big or small. Even the lowest Jew if he wishes to to have mercy on his life and to think about the everlasting purpose and then accustoms himself to go in these channels and paths that are mentioned here [in the books of Rebbe Nachman], will for sure merit the 'Next World' and will be able to reach very high and holy levels like those of high spiritual rank, if he is strong in his mind to hold onto his good path consistently, like a strong peg so he does not fall.
(Shivchay Haran Intro)

Sometimes Better to Hide Spiritual Levels
Even though Rebbe Nachman was already holding on high spiritual levels, during his youth he would outwardly perform many childish actions.
(Shivchay Haran - His Greatness 2)

Serve Hashem Secretly
As he grew older Rebbe Nachman started entering the Service of Hashem. Yet all his spiritual worship was very very concealed, so much that not a single person knew about him at all since he was very hidden and concealed. All of his spiritual service was done very hiddenly and secretly.
(Shivchay Haran - His Greatness 5)

Serve Hashem With Simplicity
In the beginning the bulk of his spiritual service was with great simplicity and without any wisdom at all, just in complete simplicity.
(Shivchay Haran - His Greatness 5)

Serve Hashem With Great Effort and Strength
Each and every thing he accomplished was with great effort, major dedication and self sacrifice. There was not a single spiritual practice that came to him easily. Rather each and every spiritual practice came to him only though tremendous effort, where he would strain himself time after time for each and every element of his spiritual service. He had countless ups and downs, thousands and tens of thousands, without count or number.

It was very hard and heavy upon Rebbe Nachman to begin entering the the Service of Hashem and to accept His yoke upon him. Often he would start for a few days, dedicating himself to the Service of Hashem and then he would fall from that. He would then get up and start again and then he would fall again. This repeated itself many times until one time he strengthened himself that he will remain strong in the Service of Hashem forever and he will not pay attention to anything that happens. From then and on his heart became strong in Hashem. Although even afterwards he constantly still had many - many ups and downs, yet from that point on he was strong that he would never stop his Service of Hashem, even though occasionally he has a descent, even then he will strengthen himself in his Service of Hashem to do whatever he could.
(Shivchay Haran - His Greatness 5)

Start Again from the Begining
Rebbe Nachman was accustomed to start each time from the beginning. When he would occasionally fall from his spiritual level, he would not despair from this. Instead he would tell himself that he would restart from the beginning as if he had never started entering the service of Hashem, as if only now he was first starting. So too each and every time, his custom was to start from scratch. He would have a few starts in one day, sometimes even in a single day he would fall from his spiritual service and he would start from the beginning, even few times in a single day.
(Shivchay Haran - His Greatness 6)

Plead and Beseech With Prayers
The main spiritual techniques through which Rebbe Nachman merited to what he merited was only through excessive prayers, petitions, pleadings, appeasements and requests that he was very accustomed to pray and plead in front of Hashem. He would appease and petition Hashem with numerous types of pleadings and requests that Hashem would merit him in His great mercy and bring him close to His service. The main thing that helped Rebbe Nachman were the prayers that he prayed in Yiddish. He was very accustomed to set aside for himself a place where no people were to be found and he he would converse with Hashem in his native language, Yiddish. He would appease and petition Hashem and would request and plead before Hashem with numerous arguments and reasonings how it was befitting to Hashem to bring him close to His service. Rebbe Nachman was very, very accustomed to doing this and spent months and years doing so.
(Shivchay Haran - His Greatness 10)

Main Thing is Hisbodedute
Aside from the many formalized prayers that Rebbe Nachman used to pray, the main thing were the prayers that he used to pray from himself. Meaning, his custom to speak from his heart in front of Hashem in Yiddish, where he would pray and argue in front of Hashem with many, many arguments, pleadings and requests, that he composed with his own mind and heart, as mentioned above that Hashem should merit his to His service. This was the main technique that helped Rebbe Nachman to reach the level that he reached. This we heard explicitly from his holy mouth.
(Shivchay Haran - His Greatness 10)

Continue Even if you are Being Ignored
Even though it appeared to Rebbe Nachman as if in Heaven they were never paying any attention to him and they were not listening to him at all, instead appearing contrary, as if they were distancing him from Hashem's service with all types of separations, as if they do not desire him at all. Since he saw how numerous days and years were passing by and he was still very far from Hashem and he still did not reach any closeness, therefore it appeared in his eyes that they were not listening to his words at all and they were not paying any attention to him, appearing contrary as if they were distancing him with all types of separations from Hashem's service.

Despite this, Rebbe Nachman would greatly strengthen himself and did not abandon his position. A few times it happened that he fell in his mind since he saw how much he prayed, pleaded and begged to come close to the service of Hashem and they were not paying any attention to him. Because of this he fell in his mind and a few days would pass where he would not converse so much with his Creator. Afterwards he would recollect himself and was very embarrassed that he had doubts about the attributes of Hashem, since in truth Hashem is for sure merciful and kind etc. and certainly wishes to bring him close to Him. Rebbe Nachman would then go back and strengthen his mind and once again start beseeching and talking to Hashem as mentioned above. So too this happened a few times.
(Shivchay Haran - His Greatness 12)

Simplicity is the Greatest Wisdom
Serving Hashem in simplicity was the essence of his great wisdom. Due to his great astounding wisdom he immediately realized that one does not need any wisdom when serving Hashem. This is the greatest wisdom of all, not to be wise when it comes to the service of Hashem, rather to serve Him with plainness and simplicity, without any wisdoms at all.
(Shivchay Haran - His Greatness 13)

Take Each Day at a Time
Each and everything that Rebbe Nachman wanted to do in Avodas Hashem was very hard for him to perform with every existing type of heaviness. In the beginning it was very hard for him to sit alone in a secluded house for a few consecutive hours and occupy himself with Avodas Hashem. This thing was very hard for him at the beginning. However, Rebbe Nachman greatly strained himself, broke his urges and sat for a few hours each day doing Hisbodedus in a special room.

So too it was very, very difficult for him to perform his spiritual service each day. It was so hard for him that he could not carry this burden due to its heaviness, since it was very, very hard and heavy upon him. It was only through the following method that he was able to carry the yoke of his spiritual service. Each day he would think in his mind that he only has this day alone and he would not look at the following day and future at all, as if he only had this one day. Therefore he was able to carry the burden of the spiritual service of that day, since for a single day a person could accept upon himself all existing forms of worship, since it is only for one day. When Rebbe Nachman would finish the worship for that day, then the next day he would repeat this and accept upon himself the spiritual service of that day as well.

This is how he would act constantly, he would not think in his mind except about that day alone, and through this he was able to carry upon him the burden of his spiritual service that was very heavy upon him. Without this method, he would not have been able to carry it upon him at all, since he would maximize his Avodas Hashem with many forms of worship each day, all of which were done with great effort, toil and great heaviness. So much, that it would not have been possible for him to carry such a yoke were it not for the technique mention above, where he would not think in his mind only regarding that day alone.
(Shivchay Haran - His Greatness 14)

Lust is Nauseating
Regarding the great level of Rebbe Nachman's holiness and his breaking of the 'Encompassing Lust' that encompasses all the other bad lusts, that is the Lust for Impurity, can not be explained and given over. Rebbe Nachman said that he had countless tests, but in truth these are not tests at all. He said this is not a lust at all and whoever is truthfully wise, even if he is not Jewish, as long as he is truly wise, it is befitting that this lust should not be considered by him a lust at all. He then said, a person that is knowledgeable in the wisdom of biology and knows the organization of the organs according to the wisdom of biology, it is befitting that he should be disgusted by this lust with complete disgust. Regarding the disgustingness of this lust, Rebbe Nachman spoke a lot but I (Rebbe Nason) can not give it over due to the forgetfulness.
(Shivchay Haran - His Greatness 16)

Rebbe Nachman's Tests
As a rule, Rebbe Nachman was greatly repulsed by this lust with complete nauseating, until he declared and said that any person that is somewhat truthfully wise, this lust is not considered a test for him at all. However even before he merited to nullify and become completely disgusted by this lust, before this he had many, many large fearsome tests with this lust, that can not be written over explicitly. Even in his youth, at the time when the blood boils, he had numerous large tests of this lust, where numerous times he had the ability to fulfil his lusts and he was in very, very grave danger. Yet he was a strong warrior and he overcame his evil inclination and subdued his desires endless times.

Still he would not distance himself and run away from the test a second time. Just the opposite, he was interested in tests and used to pray to Hashem that he should expose him to tests, since he was very strong in his mind that he for sure would not rebel against Hashem. For how can it be that he would sin and transgress the will of Hashem unless he would go insane, heaven forbid at that moment. However since he would have some level of sanity at the time of the test, he would for sure be able to pass it, according to the great strength he had in his heart, that he was extremely strong in Hashem. Despite this, at the time he was placed in the actual test, he was in great danger and he would scream a lot to Hashem, until he managed to overcome his evil inclination and was saved. Despite this, he would not distance himself from being exposed to this test a different time, even thought that at the time of the test it was very hard for him as mentioned above. So too this happened many, many countless times that can not be measured. Yet Hashem helped him and he merited to overcome his evil inclination and to nullify his the burning fire of this general lust.

Rebbe Nachman was very, very holy and distant from this lust with great abstinents and awesome holiness. He said the Evil One was willing to leave him alone on everything if he would be willing to give up one thing and he said just the opposite, that he is willing to abandon everything only this one thing he is not willing to stop trying to nullify it. Meaning, the Evil One was willing to let Rebbe Nachman break all the lusts as long as he would be willing to forsake nullifying one of them, most probably the General Lust, which is the main part of the evil inclination. However Rebbe Nachman said the opposite that he is willing to leave all his other lusts and not break them, only this lust he is determined to nullify completely.

This was how Rebbe Nachman acted in the beginning, all his goals and all his effort were only to first nullify the 'Encompassing Lust'. In the beginning he did not devote any attention to nullifying the 'lust of eating', in fact the opposite, in the beginning he would eat a lot - a lot, much more then other people. He said that at that point he would drag all his lusts into the 'lust of eating'. Afterwards he nullified this 'lust of eating' as well.

Rebbe Nachman had to undergo all types of countless strains, hard work, battles and tests before he nullified the 'Encompassing Lust'. Also there were many, many prayers, pleadings, cries and conversations that he prayed, pleaded and poured his heart out in front of Hashem with all sorts of pleadings, appeasements and beeseachments that Hashem should help save him from this lust. Until he merited to withstand all the tests and he greatly sanctified himself with complete separation from this lust in ways that can not be measured. Until he merited to completely nullify this lust. It then became a wonder to him how any person can consider it hard to nullify this lust, since he said that that it is not a lust at all and. He would talk a lot about this subject, regarding the nullification and disgust of this lust.

He said: It is not possible to discuss with people that have already physicalized themselves about the nauseation of this lust. Their bloods have become intermingled so much that their minds have become confounded, until they can not comprehend this at all and it does can not enter their heart how it is possible to be disgusted by this desire, therefore it is not possible to talk much about this. However a person that is even a little truthfully wise, can easily become completely disgusted by this desire. As Rebbe Nachman said; that this is not a test at all to a person that is truthfully wise. He then said that there must be a Kabalistic mystery to this, since in truth there is no lust at all. Rebbe Nachman would greatly flaunt his great strength in nullifying this lust. He was very holy and awesome in this subject and said upon himself that he had absolutely no lust at all.

He said: by him male and female are equivalent. Meaning, he does not have any battle due to any element of an impure thought when he sees or speaks with a woman, since everything is equivalent by him.
(Shivchay Haran - His Greatness 16)

Relationships of a Tzadik
Rebbe Nachman said; relationships of a True Tzadik are very difficult for him. It is not enough that he does not have any lust at all, in fact the opposite he has real suffering from this, equivalent to a baby at the time of his Bris. It is exactly this pain that a Tzadik experiences at the time of a relationship and even more. A baby does not have knowledge, therefore his suffering is not that great. However a Tzadik who does have knowledge, his suffering is greater then that of the baby. This was to Rebbe Nachman a simple thing and he said that any person can merit to reach this level. As it appears from his words, his own holiness was much higher and greater then this.
(Shivchay Haran - His Greatness 17)

Completely Clean
Rebbe Nachman said; by him man and woman are the same. Meaning, he does not receive any form of impure thoughts when he sees a woman. Instead everything is the same in his eyes and it is as if he is looking at a man.

A different time Rebbe Nachman said; he is not afraid, not from a woman and not from an angel. There is much to explain about this, since any person that has even a trace of fear whatsoever from impure thoughts of women, even if he is clean from this but is not clean with complete cleansing and he still has some fear from this, this person has to be afraid of an angle. However Rebbe Nachman boasted that he has no fear of this, therefore he does not fear angles.
(Shivchay Haran - His Greatness 18)

Kevrei Tzadikim
He was also very accustomed during his youth to run each time to the tomb of the Baal Shem Tov, may his memory be blessed, to request from him that should help him draw close to Hashem. He was accustomed to going there at night.
(Shivchay Haran - His Greatness 19)

Cold Mikvas
During the winter, at times when it was very cold he would go to the tomb of the Baal Shem Tov at night, from there he would return and go to the mikva. There was one mikva outside the bathhouse and another mikva inside the bathhouse. He would choose to immerse in the outdoor mikva despite the great cold. He was already cold from traveling to the Baal Shem Tov's kever, since it was very far from his home to the cemetery and also from the cemetery to the mikva, aside from the considerable amount of time that he spent by the kever. Despite all this he would go and immerse specifically in outdoor mikva in order to torment himself (sigufim). All this was done secretly at nighttime.
(Shivchay Haran - His Greatness 19)

Hidden Avoda
Rebbe Nasson heard from one that heard it directly from Rebbe Nachman's holy lips that at the time when he performed all these actions (sigufim) he was only six years old. He was so secretive with his actions, hiding them from other people that once he immersed in the mikva during the winter and when he returned from the immersion his payot were damp from the water. People around him wondered why anyone would wash their head in the winter, since it did not cross their minds that he had gone to the mikva but rather they thought he had washed his head. They were astonished that he had washed his head in such great cold weather and they considered it one of his childish acts, since he was very extremely hidden with his actions.

Also, all the many fasts that he fasted, not a single person in the world knew about them including his parents and relatives. Only his wife alone know about this and he would bound her by an oath not to reveal this to anyone. He would do many, many tricks to hide and conceal all the fasts that he fasted in a way that not a person know about them.
(Shivchay Haran - His Greatness 19)

Trip to Eretz Yisroel
Regarding his trip to Eretz Yisroel there is much to tell regarding the great, tremendous and heavy suffering that he experienced going and returning. As well as great effort and self sacrifice and the many obstacles that he had before he merited to reach Eretz Yisroel.
(Shivchay Haran - His Greatness 21)

Sigufim
We also understood from the things he told us, that in his youth, at the time when he worked very hard with great effort for Avodas Hashem, he used to do all sorts of Sigufim (self tormentations). As it appeared from his words he used to practice all forms of existing Sigufim including Gilgul Sheleg (rolling undressed in the snow) etc... He said the Siguf of holding back and not itching oneself, this is the biggest siguf of all. Meaning, when a person is bitten by things that are close to his body and it is human nature to itch himself each time he feels a bite, he would accept this as a Siguf and whould hold himself back not to scratch, not with his hands, not with his body nor with any other limb. He said this is a very large Siguf, since a person is still and the bites get even stronger and he is forbidden to move with his hands or any other limb, rather he feels each bite in his mind. This is a very large Siguf. Rebbe Nachman did all types of existing Sigufim. Doing them all with simplicity and truth until he merited to what he merited, fortunate is he.
(Shivchay Haran - His Greatness 24)

Rebbe Nachman's High Level
As a rule, in all aspects of holiness and separation, both those involving the desires, as well as those involving the bad attributes and also im all aspects of hard work, intensity, hassles and suffering for Hashem, in each and every one of these, Rebbe Nachman was a very wondrous innovation. He was completely removed of all the lusts and bad attributes with total completion, until there was not even left in him even a slight residue from any lust or bad attribute. He merited to reach a fearsomely high level, as high as could be reached. It is impossible to speak at all about the essence of his great level since "All that add, subtract".
(Shivchay Haran - His Greatness 25)

Learn From Rebbe Nachman
Everything that we have told over until now, would be considered derogatory for Rebbe Nachman according to the great levels that he merited afterwards. Yet despite this we have related all the above regarding his spiritual service and path during his youth, in order that we should know and understand how there is freedom of choice and every person can merit very great levels if he wishes. Even though it seems to a person that spiritual worship is very heavy and hard, and they are not allowing him to enter the service of Hashem, since the lusts and bad attributes constantly chase after him. Still despite this he needs to be very stubborn in his service of Hashem and not look at all of this. In these stories a wise person will understand on his own, how even Rebbe Nachman passed through all these obstacles and heaviness. He passed through all of this and despite this merited to nullify it all since he truthfully wanted to serve Hashem and chose life with truth until he merited what he merited.
(Shivchay Haran - His Greatness 25)

You Do Not Need Yichus
Rebbe Nachman said even if he was not a descendant of the G-dly Baal Shem Tov, may his memory be blessed and even if he came from the lowest Jewish family, he still would have merited what he merited, through his intense worship and hard effort that he greatly, greatly worked and toiled in the service of Hashem.
(Shivchay Haran - His Greatness 25)

High Levels Are A Result of Hard Work
Rebbe Nachman was particularly stringent about those people that held the high levels of a Tzadik and the spiritual attainments he merits are due only to his soul, since he has a very high soul. He said this is not true, rather the main thing this is dependent on are his good deeds, hard work and sacrifices. He said explicitly, that any person in the world can merit the highest levels. As this is only dependent on a person's free will, if he wants to have mercy on himself and settle his mind very well to acknowledge what is truthfully good for him and "everything is according to the quantity of action".
(Shivchay Haran - His Greatness 26)

Teachings of Rabbanue
Even the awesome miracles that we saw from Rebbe Nachman, his memory should be blessed, we are not bothering with those to recite them, since they are not considered praise at all for him, according to his tremendous level. We have only told over what is relevant to the Service of Hashem, to awaken the wise one who seeks truth. There is no excuse in the world and any person could merit high levels if he were to proceed and follow in the paths of Rebbe Nachman, of blessed memory, that are found in this book. However the main thing is to be very acquainted with prayers and requests. Especially to speak between yourself and your creator in your native tongue. To do much conversation in front of Hashem, to appease and convince Him and to plead before Him that he should bring you close to his service in truth. This paragraph is enough for all those that seek truth.
(Shivchay Haran - His Greatness 27)

Sacrifice Everything to Reach Eretz Yisroel
Rebbe Nachman said "I want to journey to Eretz Yisroel and I know the great opposition and hindrances that I will have doing this, they will be numerous and uncountable. However as long as my soul is inside me, as long as I have life, I will sacrifice my soul and travel with all my might there. As long as I am still alive I will travel there "and Hashem should do as he sees fit in his eyes."
(Shivchay Haran - His Journey to Eretz Yisroel 6)

Sleeping Preferences
Immediately they rented proper accommodations for them in the district of Istanbul called 'Galita'. When they entered, after an hour or two, Rebbe Nachman said he did not desire to remain there. Their translator asked him if it would suit them to stay in Central Istanbul which served as the Royal district where the Turkish ruler resides, since no couples are allowed in, only males alone. Rebbe Nachman answered that for sure there it is good by him.
(Shivchay Haran - His Journey to Eretz Yisroel 9)

Been In Eretz Yisroel
He would greatly boast that he had merited to have been in Eretz Yisroel . Even in the end of his days, he said that he revives himself greatly with that that he had merited to have been in Eretz Yisroel.
(Shivchay Haran - His Journey to Eretz Yisroel 28)

Continuous Non Stop Aovda
After all these, after he did all types of spiritual services as mentioned above with simplicity and truth, and was abundant in fasts, many countless prayers, sigufim (self tormentations) and breaking of the lusts and bad attributes and he after he had passed many tests and other circumstances mentioned above and was abundant very much in Hisbodedute, speaking between himself and his Creator, laying out his conversation in Yiddish etc... Until he reached an extremely high and lofty spiritual level of maximum holiness while in complete nullification and great closeness to Hashem on the levels of the great spiritual ascenders. All this he merited in the days of his very youth, since during the days he did not rest and at night he did not sleep or slumber. He was very persistent in his spiritual worship from day to day, beginning from the days of his early youth. He worked and toiled greatly from day to day, until he merited in his very youth to all the above levels, to a very high and awesome holiness and great enlightenment on the levels of the great spiritual ascenders.

Despite having merited all the above he did not pacify his mind with this and would not allow himself to stand still. Even afterwards, every day and every hour he would yearn, crave and languish for Hashem, as if he had not yet started any spiritual service at all. Even after he returned from Eretz Yisroel where he merited very great and lofty enlightenment that can not even be measured, yet despite this from the day he arrived from Eretz Yisroel until the day he passed away in peace, above and above, he always yearned and craved for Hashem as if he had not yet accomplished anything at all.

To write about this there will not be enough parchment. Even the little we merited to understand regarding this from what we heard from his holy mouth and what we saw with our eyes. Each time it was his custom to yearn for Hashem while being very truthfully humble in his own eyes, having great mercy on himself as if he still had never smelled any smell from the Service of Hashem and as if he had not started at all.

A person that has transgressed the entire Torah numerous times, Heaven forbid. When this man truthfully awakens to repent and then examines himself to see where he is holding in this world, for sure he has a very broken heart and has great mercy upon himself with great submission and humility. There is no reason to discuss something that is self understood. Still even the mercy and broken heart of this baal teshuva does not reach a thousandth of the great mercy, broken heart, submission and humility that Rebbe Nachman had each and every time before he reached a higher level of enlightenment.

As a rule, Rebbe Nachman never rested and was never still even in his days of greatness. Even though he already merited what he merited, having G-dly perception in an high, fearful and awesome level. Despite this he was not satisfied and toiled and labored at all times and all hours, accepting suffering upon himself, hard bitter suffering to which almost no comparison exists and said many prayers, pleadings, beseechings and requests with very great fearsome yearning and lounging until he reached a higher level of enlightenment. After this, immediately after he merited this enlightenment he was a little joyous.

There were times we merited to hear from his mouth that currently he had become aware of new things etc... then he was happy a little. After this, as soon as he merited to this he began anew, forgetting all the past, as if he had not started yet at all. He then went back and began anew as a person does when they begin arriving and entering the holiness of Judaism. There were times we would hear explicitly from his mouth how he said with yearning and aspiration "How does one merit to be a Jew?". He would say this with truth and great simplicity as if he had not yet started at all. So to this happened a number of times. He would constantly go up from level to level, even though he had already merited very great high and fearsome of levels etc... Despite this he would never pacify his mind with this at all. Immediately after he would have a broken heart and great mercy upon himself with great submission etc... until he managed to reach an even higher level. So too was his path until the end.

Many times it was his custom to say that now he does not know absolutely anything at all. There were times where he swore on this, that truthfully he does not know at all, even though the proceeding day or just an hour earlier, he revealed ancient things. Despite this afterwards he said that he does not know at all. Regarding this he was a very very big innovation. He said explicitly that his Torah is a very big innovation, however he "not knowing" is even an exceedingly greater innovation.
(Shivchay Haran - His Journey to Eretz Yisroel 33)

Always Climbing to Higher Levels
It was already hear from his holy mouth that he said, "there are Tzadikim that worked hard and toiled until they merited some level, each Tzadik to the level that he merited. For example; by a king, each of his ministers through their labor merits to a certain stature or high position according to their efforts". However regarding himself he said, that if he knows that currently he was holding on the same level and position as yesterday, he does not wish to exists at all. Rather each time he climbs from level to level.

There is much to discus regarding this, however it is impossible to put this into writing. Only a person that merited to see this with his eyes and to hear it with his ears was able to comprehend in his heart a little regarding how he never ever remained in one level. Rather immediately he would yearn to climb to a higher level, until he merited etc.. Like this he acted constantly. He was a great innovation regarding this and all this was according to our limited perception. There is more to this subject, mysteries of mysteries, wonders of wonders, enough has been said.
(Shivchay Haran - His Journey to Eretz Yisroel 34)

Knowing Nothing
Regarding the ultimate knowledge of 'knowing nothing', he also discussed with us a little a few times. How in every state of knowledge this 'ultimate goal' exists. Therefore even if we merit to reach this 'ultimate goal' of 'knowing nothing, despite this it is still not the 'final ultimate goal', since it is only the 'ultimate goal' in this state of knowledge and afterwards we need to work hard to merit the 'higher ultimate goal', and merit the ultimate level of 'knowing nothing' in a higher state of knowledge, so too forever. It comes out that at all times we know nothing at all, yet despite this, we did not begin to comprehend the final goal.
(Shivchay Haran - His Journey to Eretz Yisroel 35)

Tourtured Servents Deserve the Greatest Reward
Once a king sent three men to a foreign country with hidden message for a different king. They had to pass amongst countries that were hostile to the king. The first messenger acted with wisdom, completely hiding his mission. He passed through the entire hostile country and they did not even perceive that he had a hidden message. When the second messenger passed thorough, the hostile countrymen realized his mission, they understood he carried a hidden message and captured him so he would reveal it. However, he managed to act with wisdom or strength and escaped from their hands. When the third messenger passed through they realized his mission as well, they understood he had a hidden message. They captured him and tortured him with all types of tortures, numerous times. Regardless of all the tortures, afflictions and great suffering they inflicted on him, he did not speak a word, passing the test and not revealing the hidden message. Once they saw that nothing was working, they let him go as they thought he must not know anything. He then traveled and came before the king.

They were pondering which of the above three messengers deserved a greater reward. Some said, the first messenger deserved the most since he acted with wisdom and completely concealed his mission. Others said, the second messenger deserves more since they already caught him and despite this, he managed to escape through his wisdom or strength. The king then said "the third messenger deserves a greater reward then all of them since he had already become caught in their trap and for sure he also wanted to conceal his mission but had not managed to do so. He was then captured in their hands and they tormented him, torturing him with suffering and afflictions. Had he revealed even one hidden message, everyone would have chased after him in honor. Despite this he withstood the test and and did not reveal a thing. Therefore he deserves a greater reward then them all".
(Shivchay Haran - His Journey to Eretz Yisroel 36)